DAVID BECKHAM

Fame Beyond Football –

Beckham's fame extends beyond thepitch; in much of the world his name is "as instantly recognisable as that of multinational companies likeCoca-colaandIBM."Beckham's relationship and marriage to Victoria, who has been famous in her own right as part of the musical groupSpice Girls, contributed to David's celebrity beyond football.Beckham became known as a fashion plate, and together with Victoria, the couple became lucrative spokespeople sought after by clothing designers, health and fitness specialists, fashion magazines, perfume and cosmetics manufacturers, hair stylists, exercise promoters, and spa and recreation companies. One recent example is a new line of aftershave and fragrances called David Beckham Instinct.In 2002 Beckham was hailed as the ultimate "metrosexual" by the man who invented the termand has been described as such by numerous other articles since. The Beckhams were reportedly paid $13.7 million in 2007 to launch his fragrance line in the US. In the world of fashion, David has already appeared on the covers of many magazines. U.S. covers have included the men's magazineDetails, and with his wife for the August 2007 issue of W.According to Google, "David Beckham" was searched for more than any other sports topic on their site in 2003 and 2004.The search engineAsk Jeevesnamed Beckham in December 2009 as the third most online searched person in the last decade. The findings are based on online activity by British users of the search engine. Upon their arrival in Los Angeles on 12 July 2007, the night before Beckham's formal introduction,Los AngelesInternationalAirportwas filled with paparazzi and news reporters.On the next night, Victoria appeared onThe Tonight ShowwithJay Lenoto talk about the their move to LA, and presented Leno with a number 23 Galaxy jersey with his own name on the back. Victoria also talked about her NBCTV show "Victoria Beckham: Coming To America"On 22 July, a private welcoming party was held for the couple at theMuseum Of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.A-listcelebrities attending includedSteven Spielberg,Jim Carrey,Georrge Clooney,Tom Cruise,Katie Holmes,Will Smith,Jada Pinkett Smith, andQprah Winfrey. Beckham's many endorsement deals make him one of the most recognisable athletes throughout the world. On 31 December 2008, it was announced that Pepsi Co. was ending its endorsement deal with the player after a 10-year collaboration.Beckham has several eponymousvideo games, including Go Go Beckham Adventure on SoccerIsland, aplatform gamefor theGame Boy Advance, and David Beckham Soccer, a football game for theXbox.Beckham visitedAfghanistanin May 2010 for a morale-boosting visit to British troops fighting theTaliban insurgency.The appearance of Beckham as well as British Foreign SecretaryWilliam Hagueand Defence SecretaryLiam Foxwas believed to have prompted aTalibanattack onKandaharairfield.Charitable Work –Beckham has supportedUNICEFsince his days atManchester Unitedand in January 2005, the English national team captain became a Goodwill Ambassador with a special focus on UNICEF's Sports for Development program. More recently Beckham has pledged his support for the currentUnite for Children, Unite against Aidscampaign.On 17 January 2007, Rebecca Johnstone, a 19-year-old cancer patient from Hamilton, Ontario,Canada, received a surprise phone call from Beckham. After the conversation, he sent her a Real Madrid jersey with his signature on it. Rebecca died on 29 January 2007. Beckham is a spokesman forMalaria No More, a New York City-based non-profit launched in 2006. Malaria No More's mission is to end deaths caused bymalariain Africa. Beckham appears in a 2007 public service announcement advertising the need for inexpensive bed nets. The TV spot currently airs in the U.S. onFox Networks, includingFox Soccer Channel, and can also be seen on YouTube. Since joiningMajor Soccer League, Beckham has been a very public advocate in the U.S. for related charities such as "MLS W.O.R.K.S." On 17 August 2007, he conducted a youth clinic inHarlem, along with other current and former MLS players. This was in advance of his first New York City area match the following day against theNew York Red Bulls. That team's Jozy Altidoreand Juan Pablo Angelwere also with Beckham, teaching skills to disadvantaged youth to benefitFC Harlem Lions.Appearances In Films –Bend It Like Beckham –Beckham never personally appeared in the 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham, except in archive footage. He and his wife wanted to make cameo appearances, but scheduling proved difficult, so the director used look alikes instead. The Goal: Trilogy -

Beckham makes a cameo appearance withZinedine ZidaneandRaúl, in the 2005 filmGoal!: The Dream Begins. Lookalike Andy Harmer, who played him inBend It Like Beckham, also appears here in one party scene as Beckham.Beckham himself appears in the sequelGoal! 2: Living the Dream...in a larger role, when the film's lead character gets transferred toReal Madrid. This time the story centres around the Real Madrid team, and besides Beckham, other real life Real Madrid players also appear on and off the pitch, alongside the fictional characters. Beckham appeared inGoal! 3: Taking on the World, which was releasedstraight to DVDon 15 June 2009.Despite moving to Los Angeles, California, Beckham has expressed no personal interest in pursuit of acting roles, saying he is too "stiff".Records –Beckham has captainedEngland59 times,one of the most in England's history.With his free kick goal againstEcuadorin the second round of the2006 FIFA World Cup, Beckham gained membership into two of football's exclusive clubs: he became the only English player — and the 21st player regardless of nationality — to score in three world cups;Real MadridteammateRaulalso achieved this feat a few days earlier.It also made him only the fifth player in World Cup history to score twice from a direct free kick; the other four werePele, Roberto Rivelino, Teofilo Cubillas andBernard Genghini(Beckham had previously scored this way againstColombiain the first round of the1998 FIFA World Cup). All three goals were against South American teams (Colombia,Argentina, and Ecuador) and from set pieces (the two aforementioned free kicks and a penalty against Argentina).Tattoos –Beckham has manytattooson his body, one of which is the name of his wife Victoria, written inHindi, because Beckham thought it would be "tacky" to have it in English. Another tattoo, written inHebrew, reads אני לדודי ודודי לי הרעה בשושנים, translated into: "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine, that shepherds among the lilies." This is from theSong of Songsin theHebrew Bible, and a popular Jewishpaeanto fidelity. Beckham has also been ridiculed in the press for looking like a "Hella Angelsbiker" and a "football yob" due to his ever-expanding number of tattoos, their design, and their location.He often wears long sleeved shirts when playing football to cover his tattoos from those who may feel uncomfortable about them due to their beliefs. Beckham has attributed the many tattoos to hisobsessive-compulsive disorderand claims to be addicted to the pain of the needle.